Painter Sudarshan Biswal paints on the theme of the rape and murder of schoolteacher Itishree Pradhan on Mahatma Gandhi Marg in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Dec. 10: Sudarshan Biswal, a 35-year-old painter, is wielding the brush against the government’s reluctance to hand over the Itishree Pradhan murder case to the CBI.

“Only a CBI inquiry will be able to unravel the truth behind Itishree’s murder and expose those involved,” said Biswal, who has been on a dharna on Mahatma Gandhi Marg in front of the Assembly for the last fortnight demanding a proper inquiry to ascertain the reasons behind her murder.

Itishree, 27, a sikshya sahayak at Tikiri Upper-Primary School in Raygada district, who had alleged sexual harassment by the local sub-inspector of schools, was set ablaze on October 27 night by goons while she was asleep in her room in the school hostel.

She succumbed to burn injuries on November 1 at a private hospital of Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.

The state government’s firm denial to a CBI inquiry has left Biswal shocked. The artist has now resolved to take the case to Delhi durbar and urge the President of India to intervene and order a CBI probe.

Today, he started an open voting system at the dharna site seeking public opinion regarding a CBI inquiry on the issue.

“People are being given forms to express their views. We have documented the entire voting process and noted down the number of persons who cast their votes. All efforts are being made to maintain transparency in the entire process,” he said.

Biswal, who solely depends on money generated from his paintings, has decided to create public opinion through the open voting system, which would go on till December 13.

At the dharna site, he makes sketches on the rising number of atrocities against women.

“Being an artist, I am sensitive to this cause. I want to be different from others. If I don’t raise the issue, time will come when our mothers and sisters will not dare to step out of home.”

In the past, Biswal had paid a price for raising sensitive issues. He faced opposition from his own family too.

“Many of my family members are actively involved in the BJD. My father and two brothers, who are businessmen, have stopped talking to me after I raised these issues relating to the common man. However, my mother is now able to understand my sentiments and talks to me at times. One day, all of them will realise that I have not done anything wrong,” he said. In January 2010, Biswal, wearing a loin cloth and painted green all over, had been spotted on the city streets pulling a green rickshaw packed with neat models of concrete structure to raise awareness about the environment.

In February 2013, he was detained by the police while trying to criticise chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s cheap rice scheme by walking with a plough near the secretariat.